the routes described in the Bike to the Borough Project. These routes are shorter routes in and around the City of Peterborough. This site also maps a suggested connection into and out of Peterborough from the new Green Belt Route that runs south of Rice Lake along the moraine all the way into Toronto.

If you would like some assistance finding a suitable route for walking and cycling in the city, call Susan Sauvé, Transportation Demand Management Planner at 705-742-7777 ext. 1485.

Resources to get you moving:

Walking

The best prescription for health is to make walking a habit. Walking regularly to destinations you go to every week can ensure you remain physically active and can reintroduce you to exciting features in your community. If you’re new to walking, pick a route that is direct, as quiet as possible and about 15 minutes away. Distances longer than this are too easily replaced with the car. Become a committed winter walking commuter and skip shovelling your driveway and scraping ice of the windshield in the morning!

Cycling

The bicycle is one of humankind’s most marvellous inventions. Using human power, the bicycle is one of the most efficient forms of transportation available. Once you have found a comfortable route and bike, you won’t want to stop riding. Consider bicycle training if traffic concerns you. The city and county cycling maps are a good place to start if you’re looking for good places to ride.

Transit

Riding transit is the only form of transportation that is smartphone friendly. Ride and text all you want! By avoiding buying a vehicle, you can save yourself the equivalent of the cost of having a $100,000 mortgage or a good chunk of rent money. People that ride transit get about a third of their recommended physical activity walking to and front transit stops. That walking contributes to better health for you and your family.

How to ride public transit:

Check out the routes and schedules. A Peterborough Transit Map with this information
was provided with the pass. It is also available online.

Use the map to find out which route will take you to your destination. Check out the
pick-up and drop-off times.

Plan your trip.

Find the nearest bus stop.

At the right time, wait at the stop and have your pass ready.

When the bus arrives, move to the door nearest the driver. Let passengers get off the
bus, then get on the bus.

Show your pass to the driver.

Find a seat. The seats near the front of the bus are reserved for older adults or people
with disabilities.

Before your stop, pull the hanging cord or press a button to signal to the driver that you
want to get off.

When the bus stops, thank the driver and get off. You may exit through the rear doors.
BE AWARE – Transit buses move away from the stop as soon as passengers have gotten
on or off. As soon as you get off the bus, you need to be alert. You should never cross
the street in front of a transit bus. Wait for the bus to pull away so you have a clear view
of the street. Cross at the cross walk or street corner.

Car Sharing

Sometimes, having access to a vehicle is incredibly important. Instead of footing the bill for your own vehicle, save a lot of money and drive new vehicles all the time by being a car share member. Car sharing programs run in many Ontario municipalities and are currently being considered for Peterborough.

Carpooling

Carpooling is not a new concept, but as the price of fuel rises, it becomes more and more appealing. You don’t have to carpool every day. Try 3 days a week so you have a couple of days where you can run errands on the way home or visit a friend.

With your fellow carpoolers, make rules about music, where and when to stop, how to communicate a change in plans and how long to wait for someone who is late. Usually, carpoolers find that being on time and not making any stops is critical. Before you start carpooling, agree on how the finances and logistics will be handled. If you each drive two days a week, that’s easy to figure out, but if one of you drives more than the other, you’ll have to agree on how the person driving more often will be compensated.

The simplest way to start carpooling is by carpooling with your spouse!

Teleworking

Teleworking is not formally embraced by many Peterborough organizations yet, but many human resource departments in other cities are finding that teleworking boosts productivity and helps retain employees. In some cases, businesses are saving on rent money by consolidating the offices of people that telework regularly. Teleworkers report that they are more productive, less stressed and surveys indicate that they have higher-than-average job satisfaction. Join the wave of businesses and employees that are benefitting from teleworking.